To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.
The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.
Well, I didn't hate it. I also didn't love it. This is my first book by this author so I can't compare it to anything else she's written.
The writing was excellent. I loved reading about the buildings, the clothes, all the tiny details that make up a world. Tahereh is fantastic at those. I was never bored, although it's true the first part could have been trimmed down some...how many times do the two need to meet by accident, and how often does Kamran need to shout at his ministers? (a lot apparently, see below.) I didn't feel the need to be reminded every other chapter how wretched Alizeh's life is, either. Once or twice would have been plenty.
This is the most insta of instaloves. Kamran gets an obscured glimpse of Alizeh for a few seconds at their first meeting and is instantly gone. At least on her side it takes a little longer, though they still actually talk for only a handful of minutes over the course of the novel. However, this is the way YA fic is now.
Kamran is a jerk. There's no other way to say it. He's borderline abusive towards Hazan, played off as 'it's fine, he's known me forever and he knows all my moods'. He shouts at his ministers. Although he does seem to be lightening up a little towards the end, he's still mean and angry.
Spoiler, tw: Victim blaming: there's a section where Kamran says to Alizeh in so many words 'It's your own fault I'm bullying you, I'm only nasty to you because you keep reacting to it'. I can't believe that got past an editor in this century! Hopefully it will be gone by the time the book comes out, as I was reading a proof, but really. Who could possibly think that was a good idea?
Speaking of the end, so much happens so quickly I had to read it a couple of times to make sure I got it all. There's a lot packed into the last two dozen ish pages (reading on a device, I don't know how the pages will fall in the physical book.) There's also a really clever flying carpet gag that I thought was fantastic. And a literal cliffhanger at the end!
I will read more in the series, because I want to know what happens next. I think it's worth a try. Just be prepared for a slow opener.
This Woven Kingdom publishes on the 1st February, 2022 in the US, and on the 3rd February 2022 in the UK, using the same cover as far as I can find out. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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